The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-02-26

"Ry the way, I hear he has returned, !
hone YOU can meet him without making Q
scene You know your weakness
Pranca's lip curlcd scornfully, then she
looked steadily ~ her mother, who shifted
hcr eyes unoaslly
"My weakness, then, IL that love him.
II that what you mean, mo,hort
Mrs, Randolph responded family
| ayes"
"Thcu console yourself, for ! neither
love nor hate him
Mrs. Randolph said no more, but loft
tho room with feeling al vague uncasl-
ness
III she would only forget that man !
How can tell whether she loves him or
mott How can tell how she Will meet
hint Hut meet him she must, poor, pas
! sona,e hearted girl! and no one can sus'
tain her
The br'hnirhi fde passed On success
! fully fraHcla was lovely IA garnet velvet
and cream satin, and her arms and neck
CLEANED like pink,tinted marble but her
7 face wore It's usual Siatucsque co!incss-
the GOODNESS that had only become
habitual since her recovery from her III
ness.
An English gentleman was much AZ
,ractoi by her great beauty, uu' hrr
frigidlty rcpclcd hun.
4 "Sho has no soul She freezes me
/ "Shc II an soul You de- not possess the
magic key 20 open the Caskct' sdid u
friend
The EuglishmJu ass"n'cd lndIFcrcn'ly,
aud went his WY, but fa," had marked
him Il was during III" summer, whi.c
, the Randolph family were residing al
their country home, that Frdncia met the
man whom she had once 80 madIy wor-
SHIPPED he came purposclr Ia see her
II supposed Francld, you had heard
of my arrival aud thought owed u 10
YOU IN see you one" more he sand, aS
she entered the room and ne rose 10 greet
her.
"WhyC she asked, looking not a. him,
hut AT his card which she had brought
with her. She did not take me hand he
held out 10 her Nan Of The world that he
was, he seemed 10 become confused ~
her simple q ucry.
"My reason should be plain 10 You.
"Why" she asked again, slowly tearing
into bits the card IN her hand.
He shifted his position, then came up 70
her and land his fingers on her destructive
ones.
Isl, down II - ridiculous for rs 20 20
on this way, and ! have much TO say 10
you"
She freed her hand from his trembling
fingers, and for the first time lifted her
eyes 10 his.
~ can not understand what YOU could
pos sibly have 10 say 10 me that would SUI
ficicntly interest me 10 such an extent that
should be kept standing tong. DO YOU SIT
down, but prefer to stand
He wet hrs dry lips, and AZ first his voice
was husky, but - he proceeded II became
clearer and stronger.
"Francia, have come Ia beg your par
don You would not give me my freedom
when asked, or, rather, took II. and now
| am glad that you did not thought
was tired OF your love | thought ! could
easily forget Won. went so far "a 10
make love 10 Genie Rcnard, the woman
for whose sake you so bitterly upbraldcd
me the day we parted, but she laughed al
me, and then knew how | had wrongcd
YOU | would have gone back 10 you then,
but pride was stronger than love. went
abroad meaning 10 return In year, but
two years went by before ! could decide
what was best for me 10 do Now nave
come back / ask you 10 bc my wife, ask
YOU 10 love mo ana forgive any NHl'I''E
may have caused you
He went closer 10 her, but she put out
one hand impcra,vcly. In the other hand
the tiny bits Of his visiting card lay ~ a
confused mass,
"Do you think you could piece together
lis card and make IL as spotlcss, rs brill
liant, as perfect, ~ /, was one hour agoF
she asked.
a,
hers.
~Francia do not torture mc--1O not be-
cruel, know that you low" me
/ pStop" she cried imporrously, Ringing
ont her hand and scattering the torn card
in a white shower over the floor "NuW !
must speak plainly. Just az impossible as
! II i, for YOU to restore the bloom TO the
| grapo which you have handled too rough.
| ly, lust as impossible il is for NE to love
you. Once would have given my life for
ycu--out Z, 4 would have been your slave
for sweet loves sake. But you outraged
my love, and turned my worship TO mdli-
ference, which is more TO he feared than
hate. / gave you aN-and lost all! And
now have nothing 10 give you, or any
man. Despair has darkcncd my soul,
slain my youth, killed joy, and hope, and
Ihltni NtNtT iHHln VIII ltNf! never
again W III woman love you az did; but
you threw IL away you tramplcd II under
your feet IA If il were something too base
for use And now you stoop Ia regain II,
and tell you II il too late, too latcN'
Slowly turning, she left HIM. He stool
with his head bont upon his hand for
| moment, then he, too, left the room.
| Too late, forever too late, 10 win the
priceless boon of this zone that was a
woman, sir"
| Five years aitCrwari Francla Randolph
married the Englshman, Frederick Leigh
| he who had sand she had no soul. She
told him she had no love to give him, or
| any other man
~ would rather have your liberation
| than any other woMan's love- he pro-
tested.
But she was not glad at his answer, for
1t seemed, indeed, as If she had lost the
power to feel But as the years passed,
her tender affection for her husband be-
came u wonderful thing. II she had lost
love she had gained broader virtue. Who
is IL that has said Love is best Of all'i
How little he KNEW
=----------s.-----------
A Cunning Australian snake.
Sidney MALL